PETITION FOR EQUALITY AS RIGHTFUL CITIZENS OF TAIWAN, REPUBLIC OF CHINA

We, the sons and daughters of Taiwanese citizens around the world, ask the government and elected officials of the Republic of China to recognize our status as full citizens of Taiwan. Despite our mothers and fathers being Taiwanese citizens who emigrated abroad, We, those who were born in the United States, Europe, Australia and elsewhere, are not presently entitled by the laws of Taiwan to full citizenship by descent, and all of the rights and privileges thus bestowed, without first meeting unreasonable residency requirements under outdated legislation.

Following the common principle of jus sanguinis (Latin: Right of Blood) nationality laws, most of the world's nations pass citizenship from parents to their children. We, the children of Taiwanese emigrants, do not have have the right to reclaim the full citizenship of their motherland without residing continuously in Taiwan for 365 days, for 270 days per year for two consecutive years, or for 183 days per year for five consecutive years. In a globalizing world, outdated residency requirements indicate to us that, unlike the majority of the world's nations, our motherland and birthplace of our mothers and fathers, does not recognize us as equals and does not give us the automatic right to return should we choose to do so.

We, the children of Taiwanese emigrants, while proud citizens of the nations of our birth, wish also to maintain strong ties with their motherland and there is no tie stronger than citizenship. We respectfully demand the right to return to Taiwan as equals, bringing with us our advanced educations, professional experience and financial capital that will benefit Taiwan and return the country to its former economic strength.

We do not bring forth this petition with any political affiliations, rather only as Taiwanese people and rightful citizens of the Republic of China. We call on the Executive Yuan, the Legislative Yuan, and the esteemed members of the Internal Affairs Committee, to expediently grant us the right to equality as full citizens of the Republic of China by passing current legislation (Yuan No 1684, Government Proposition 13443, http://misq.ly.gov.tw/MISQ/IQuery/misq5000QueryBillDetail.action?billNo=1011116070100100) to immediately amend the outdated Immigration Act.